Experts are warning that the next government in England will face tough decisions when it comes to the country's universities. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has stated that ministers will have to choose between raising tuition fees, providing direct grants, or capping student numbers in order to address the financial challenges facing universities. According to the IFS, universities that heavily rely on income from teaching UK students are particularly at risk. The institute highlighted that if tuition fees had kept up with inflation, they would now be at £12,000 instead of the frozen rate of £9,250 since 2016. The situation presents difficult and "unpalatable" choices for the government, as they grapple with how to support universities in England facing financial difficulties.